Gasol sends Grizzlies out on high note

Apr 19, 2007 - 4:46 AM
MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Something had to give in a game between
the resistable force and the movable object.

Pau Gasol recorded 25 points and 16 rebounds and Tarence Kinsey
added 22 points as the Memphis Grizzlies routed the Minnesota
Timberwolves, 116-94, in a battle of two of the worst teams in
the league.

Gasol notched his third straight double-double for the
Grizzlies, who won three consecutive games for the first time
this season.

"It is always positive to finish up the season with a win,
especially as bad as it was for us," Gasol said. "We take that
as a positive. We fought hard until the very last game. We
should be proud of that. We have guys that kept playing hard."

"We should be disappointed. I am disappointed. I think
everybody in that locker room should be disappointed,"
Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said. "Last Sunday, we were in
Golden State and you look and they have 39 wins and we have 32
wins after 80 games and that's still close. That should make
you even more depressed. You're seven games out of the playoffs
after all the (garbage) that we've (been) through.

"Who does that hurt? That's the question we have to answer as
individuals. That should hurt all of us. If it doesn't, we
(have) to find guys that it does hurt."

The loss assures that Minnesota (32-50) will keep its lottery
pick as a result of the Sam Cassell-Marko Jaric trade two years
ago, a draft selection they would have surrendered to the
Clippers had they not finished with a top-10 choice.

"I think we need to make changes," Wittman said. "The roster is
unbalanced a bit. We don't have bigs that can guard bigs. A
lot of different things need to be done. We have to find guys
that are caring for one another, that are playing for one
another. I just don't think we have that mix together right
now."

Nursing 62-57 lead early in the third quarter, the Grizzlies
went on a 19-6 run to take an 81-63 lead. Kinsey scored six
points in the spurt.

The Timberwolves would get no closer than 12 points the
remainder of the game.